Session Information
07 SES 09 C, Compensatory Pathways for Early School Leavers: Findings from the RESL.eu Project (Part 2)
Symposium continued from 07 SES 08 C
Contribution
Although early school leaving is not an issue of particular importance in Poland, which has one of the lowest ESL/ELET rates in the European Union, there is no doubt that ESL is a serious social problem: students who leave education and training early have fewer opportunities in the labour market and are thus at risk of poverty, unemployment and social exclusion (European Commission 2013b). In recent years, some changes have been introduced within the system of gaining vocational qualifications: validation of non-formal and informal learning, practical learning opportunities, vocational qualification courses, work-based apprenticeships. In Poland, vocational training for those who completed lower secondary education can take place in basic vocational schools or technical schools. Those students who for some reason do not fit in traditional schools, for instance have a history of truancy and long-term absenteeism or require special tuition, can complete their education in centres for continuing education, youth sociotherapy centres or can gain vocational qualifications through the Voluntary Labour Corps. The main aim of this presentation is to report the results of research conducted by the authors within the Reducing Early School Leaving in Europe (RESL.eu) project in 2015 in alternative learning arenas in Warsaw, Poland. Our fieldwork in three vocational alternative learning pathways was intended to find out what kind of young people find their way to alternative vocational education measures, what are the reasons why they are in alternative learning arenas instead of traditional schools, what motivates these young people to continue education or training, and what are the protective factors which help them stay in education and gain vocational qualifications. The presentation focuses on the interviews and focus group discussions conducted with supervisors, implementers and participants of the measures, as well as with the parents of the participants. Special attention will be paid to the data from the interviews with three students of alternative pathways in vocational training and interviews with their parents. Applying a comparative approach to students’ and parents’ perspectives, we will look at similarities and differences in the perception of the importance of education and vocational training.
References
Araújo, H. C., Magalhães, A., Rocha, C. & Macedo, E. [2014]. Policies on Early School Leaving in Nine European Countries: A Comparative Analysis. Antwerp: University Antwerp. Dale R., [2010], Early school leaving: lessons from research for policy & practice. Report submitted to the European Commission prepared on behalf of the Network of Experts in Social Sciences of Education (NESSE); http://www.nesse.fr/nesse/activities/reports/activities/reports/early-school-leaving-report.
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